Forum Discussion

Skinny_D's avatar
Skinny_D
Explorer
Jan 09, 2021

Chock RV on snow/ice. NEED HELP!!!

Question: How do you get enough traction on ice or snow to chock the tires of a travel trailer on a slight slope?

So, I just arrived at the parking lot of my nearby ski park. It was 8pm on arrival and everything was frozen. Spent over an hour trying to level and chock the trailer. Snow was so packed that my rubber chocks and plastic levelers didn't work! The levelers would repeatedly shoot out when I tried to pull up on them. We gave up and pulled into an area that is certainly not approved so that we could park with the trailer still attached to the truck on more level ground.

What can be used to get traction and help stabilize the trailer in this situation? Bring sand to put on the ground? Any Canadians out there want to offer sage wisdom? All suggestions are welcome and will not be publicly ridiculed.

38 Replies

  • Lots of good suggestions in not so ideal conditions.
    I'd likely carry a shovel and heat gun.
  • Put chains on your tires.
    Carry a couple of 4’ 2x8s studded w/ nails or screws. Park on top of them.
  • Keep a bag of rock salt, and spread some liberally around where you need it.

    Guy
  • Just get you some #10 1/2 long hexed head sheet metal screw and screw into the bottom of the rubber chock. Those will bite into the ice and keep them from slipping. You can always remove them for better weather camping.
  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    Interesting thread. I haven't camped in snowy conditions, but it hadn't even occurred to me the difficulties in setting up may include chocking / leveling on ice.
  • What I would do on Canadian ice or hard pack snow is put a full kettle on the stove to boil, go out and place the levellers. Pour a bit of hot water over them so it melts them in a bit. Then go have coffee or tea while they freeze in. To release them drive off and then give them a couple gentle hits with something heavy - chunk of firewood - to break them free. If you overdid the hot water freeze in you might have to use hot water to thaw them free again. If your water tank is empty snow turns into water when you heat it, but it takes a lot of snow.
  • Bolt a rubber mudflap to the boards so the tire is on the rubber before it pushes the board. But you might want to dig the snow/ice away from where the ramps sit. Heat from trailer might melt causing you to put extra force on stabilizers.
    If my plastic ramps are on asphalt I unplug the trailer so less likely to slide when I touch brakes.